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CEBU City: Accenture has expanded its operations in
the country with the opening of a facility here at the Ayala
Business Center on Friday.
Keith Haviland, Accenture lead
for delivery center network for technology, told reporters that the
Cebu facility will initially have 500 seats, and will deliver
“high-value” information technology (IT) outsourcing services
like application management service, systems development and other
related services to global clients.
“This is part of the
company’s global delivery center network,” he said.
Beth Lui, Accenture country
managing director, said the Cebu facility is a strategic move to
scout for the right professionals outside Metro Manila.
Accenture has been in the IT
outsourcing and business-process outsourcing (BPO) services for more
than 20 years in the country. This expansion involved moving a good
number of work and workforce from Manila to Cebu.
The Accenture executives declined
to disclose the amount invested in Cebu.
Haviland said the company has
been hurt by the peso’s rapid appreciation. “We are looking for
strategic ways to cushion the negative effect, but we’ll always
remain bullish [on] the Philippines,” he said.
The company aims to have 65,000
professionals in its global delivery network before the year ends.
At present Accenture’s major source of talents come from India
with about 35,000 employees, with the Philippines at second with
14,000 workers.
“Cebu is capable of providing
us the talent pool we need,” Lui said, adding that it will soon
replicate the industry and academe partnership it began in Manila.
The Cebu facility will initially
focus on IT outsourcing, including system integration and
application management services. It will later bring its BPO and
call-center business to Cebu as it accepts more outsourcing jobs.
“We will eventually tap the
leading schools here in Cebu by conducting free training and
seminars in order to sustain [a] competitive workforce,” Lui said.
--Katrina Mennen A. Valdez
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